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Arrival.

I was going through the usual signals and mails in my in-tray.One ‘posting-in signal’ caught my eye. Flying Officer Priya Sharma arriving at base, the next day. This, my dear friends was the year 1999,no mobile and no internet for regular use.So signals, military version of telegram was our lifeline. Another woman officer for company,I am a relieved person for sure. I joined the bachelors gang over lunch and broke this news to them.A wave of anticipation and joy passed through them. There was much discussion over which one of them would go to receive her from the army transit camp. True blue bachelors contested and our handsome Saini won. After a long time,another lady officer on the scene,so many seeds of hope already sown!

The next day, a sprightly young man in uniform walked into my office to report and carry on with his joining formalities.Name was Flying Officer Priye Sharma. Yes!! Not ‘Priya’Sharma! I was in splits over the impending heart breaks in the bachelors’ block. I gave him a quick summary of the scenario amongst the guys and we both decided to play it along. Priye took a lift back to the dining hall with me and we both started our lunch.

A very concerned looking Flight Lieutenant Saini purposefully walked in, snazzily dressed up in smart civvies, a ‘Top Gun/ Tom Cruise’ style leather jacket and the famed ‘aviators’ perched on his nose. He wanted to know Priya’s time of arrival at the bus stop.I quietly gave him a probable time,and off he went,without a second glance at the officer sitting next to me. Others joined us at the table and excited conversation followed. More on the lines of teasing each other with the impending arrival of Priya. Since it was getting a bit too much , I introduced Priye to everyone. An under the breath curse was let off by the lot ! Much laughter and several curses later, it was blamed on the typo in the posting signal. Now the whole gang awaited the return of Saini. A dejected Saini drove back and parked his snazzy Yamaha, with no pillion in sight.Everyone had been lurking around to meet him.Priye was pushed forward to smartly click a salute and report to him! The realisation hit him pronto, and the shock was so evident! Our crowd proceeded towards the officers’ mess to be greeted by more guffaws and teasing…